WGNO
Encyclopedia
WGNO, channel 26, is the ABC
-affiliated television station for the greater New Orleans, Louisiana
metropolitan area, as well parts of southern and coastal Mississippi
. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting
, and is the only Big Three
network affiliate owned by the company.
The station offers ABC programming, along with syndicated programming and about 25 hours a week of local newscasts. The station broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 26; its studios are located at the Galleria Center in Metairie, Louisiana
and its transmitter is located east of downtown New Orleans off Paris Road
. The station is seen via satellite through DirecTV and Dish Network, on Cox Communications
channel 11 in standard definition and digital channel 1011 in high definition, and on AT&T U-verse.
Digital channels
This station's digital signal is multiplexed:>
Channel
Video
Aspect
Callsign
Programming
26.1
720p
16:9
WGNO-DT
Main WGNO programming / ABC
26.2
480i
4:3
AntTV
Antenna TV
The station's broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 26. WGNO had been sharing digital channel 15 with sister station WNOL
. On June 12, 2009, WGNO remained on channel 26 when the analog to digital conversion completed; this allowed on WNOL to resume high definition broadcasting on UHF channel 15. ABC network programming airing on WGNO is broadcast in the network's recommended high definition
picture format of 720p
HD.
, as well as the first new commercial station to sign on in the city since WWL-TV
(channel 4) signed on in 1957. Initially, the station was on the air 8 hours a day from late afternoon to midnight. It programmed mostly old movies, some theatrical cartoons, and a couple off network shows. In 1969, the station experimented with broadcasting 24 hours a day, claiming to be the first television station in America to do such, but this venture was short lived. It was owned by David Wagenvoord until its sale to Communications Corp. of the South in 1971, and its call letters were changed to the current WGNO. During its first decade on the air, WGNO also served as a secondary affiliate to the Big Three Networks, airing programs not cleared by NBC affiliate WDSU, ABC affiliate WVUE, and CBS affiliate WWL.
As WGNO, the station began running more off network sitcoms and westerns and moderate amounts of cartoons. The station was on the air about twelve hours a day by 1972. The station began signing on at 10 a.m. in 1974, and expanded to about nineteen hours a day by 1975. WGNO was sold to Seymour Smith and family in 1976. It continued to program a general entertainment format with vintage sitcoms, older movies, and religious shows. From 1982 to 1987, WGNO aired 1000 PSAs (public service announcements) called "Tom Foote"; Tom was a local entertainer in area schools and in the Quarter. For a time, an hour-long program called Tom Foote's Video Clubhouse aired as well as News For Kids, produced by Tom.
WGNO was purchased by Glendive Media in 1978, who would later sell the station to Tribune Broadcasting
in 1983. By coincidence, the station's call letters reflect a connection with Tribune's flagship station, WGN-TV
(channel 9) in Chicago
, but channel 26 had WGN in their calls long before Tribune even thought of buying the station; and, with two other Tribune television properties also sporting the three letters in their call signs (KWGN-TV
(channel 2) in Denver and WGNX
(channel 46, now WGCL-TV) in Atlanta), channel 26 kept the WGNO call letters. With the slogan "New Orleans Style," the station continued to grow, and as other competitors signed on, WGNO remained the leading independent station in the market.
In 1993, legendary programmer Brandon Tartikoff
, who had a successful run as the president of NBC
during the 1980s, created a game show for WGNO called "NO It Alls" with host Ed Daniels and hostess Isis Casanova. In 1996, Tartikoff would take the popular game show national as "Know It Alls".http://www.allbusiness.com/media-telecommunications/information-services/7690444-1.html
In January 1995, after 28 years on the air, WGNO ceased to be an independent station when it affiliated with the new WB Television Network
. At that time, The WB only offered a few hours of programming a week (airing only on Sunday and Wednesday nights at the time of its launch), so WGNO was still programming non-network programming over twenty hours a day.
That same year, Burnham Broadcasting sold longtime ABC affiliate WVUE (channel 8) in a group deal, to Savoy Communications, a company with interest in Fox (WVUE is currently owned by Louisiana Media Company). WVUE dropped its ABC affiliation to become a Fox
affiliate on January 1, 1996. WGNO then acquired WVUE's former ABC affiliation, and became the market's new affiliate of the network. The WB network affiliation, along with the cartoons and some syndicated programming, were moved to former Fox affiliate WNOL (channel 38).
In 1997, WNOL later came under management by Tribune Company, and WGNO officially became a sister station to WNOL after Tribune purchased the latter in 2000, creating the market's first television "duopoly" operation. In July 2005, the station moved its facilities from the World Trade Center New Orleans to a facility at the New Orleans Centre.
On August 29, 2007, the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, WGNO began broadcasting from new high definition-ready studios in the Galleria Center in nearby Metairie; included in WGNO's new facility are a brand-new news set and weather center. Revamped logos and on-air graphics were introduced at this time.
When the New Orleans Saints
have any games done by NFL Network
's Thursday Night Football in a season, WGNO has the rights to air those.
As Hurricane Katrina
approached in August 2005, WGNO's operations were moved to fellow ABC affiliate WBRZ-TV
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
.
For a time after Hurricane Katrina hit, nightly newscasts were broadcast from various locations throughout the New Orleans area because the main studio was inaccessible. Temporary facilities (including a makeshift studio and control room) were eventually established in two trailers outside of the Louisiana Superdome
, and most of the station's broadcast equipment was purchased from eBay
resellers.
In April 2006, WGNO announced that it was temporarily moving its broadcast operations back to the World Trade Center New Orleans tower. Management at the New Orleans Centre terminated the station's lease when it decided not to reopen the complex—the station had only moved into the facility a few weeks before Katrina. In February 2007, Tribune announced that rather than move WGNO to WNOL's facility on Canal Street, it would be moving to the Galleria building in nearby Metairie
. This would make WGNO the first local station to move outside of New Orleans - station management indicated that they wanted to keep WGNO in New Orleans, but that there wasn't a facility suitable for the purpose. The move to the Galleria was complete and broadcasting began at their new home on August 29, 2007, the second-year anniversary of Katrina
.
Hurricane Katrina also destroyed WGNO's analog and digital transmitters. As of March 1, 2008, WGNO completed its "post transition
" channel 26 DTV
transmitter. Since this transmitter operates on the same frequency as their analog transmitter (26) it could not be powered up until their analog transmitter shut down on June 12, 2009, at which time the station flash-cut
to digital.http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=620193 Prior to June 12, 2009, its digital signal (with full resolution HDTV content) was carried on a sub-channel of WNOL
's digital transmitter on channel 15.
in 2008, WGNO's audio was simulcast
on WTIX-FM
(94.3); the station also cancelled the local segments of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
, which was airing as normally scheduled on sister station WNOL-TV
.
WGNO received help covering Gustav from the Tribune Company
/Local TV
partnership, which combines the control and Internet operations for both entities—stations that sent crews to New Orleans included Fox affiliate WBRC
(channel 6) in Birmingham, Alabama
(now owned by Raycom Media
), NBC affiliate WHO-TV (channel 13) in Des Moines, Iowa
and CBS affiliate WHNT-TV
(channel 19) in Huntsville, Alabama
. On September 1, 2008 CNN.com began to simulcast WGNO's local coverage on one of CNN
's four live video feeds.
Shortly after taking the ABC affiliation, WGNO launched a full-scale news department, and began airing half-hour newscasts at 5 and 6 p.m. on weeknights and nightly at 10 p.m. in March 1996. For its first eight years as an ABC affiliate, WGNO was one of the largest Big Three stations (in terms of market size) not to have a weekday morning or midday newscast. On September 8, 2008, WGNO launched a half-hour midday newscast at 11 a.m., and then on September 29, 2008, the station finally added a two-hour morning newscast called Good Morning New Orleans, airing from 5-7 a.m. The station at one time was unique for having its own bounty hunter
, Tat-2, as part of its "Wheel of Justice" series. http://abc26.trb.com/news/wgno_news_tat2ii052208,0,3524949.story, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ratw-yh2Epk
On April 20, 2009 WGNO moved its 6 p.m. newscast ahead a half-hour to 6:30 p.m., the move was intended to reach a believed large segment of New Orleans who commute to work and do not arrive home in time to watch a 6 p.m. newscast; billed as "Your Only Newscast at 6:30", the newscast is anchored by Jessica Holly (who also solo anchors the weeknight 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts), however recent ratings indicate that the time slot did not attract significant viewers as ratings fell in 2010, with WGNO placing last with a 1.7 Nielsen at 6:30. A year later, WGNO reinstated its 6 p.m. newscast, pairing it alongside the existing 6:30 newscast; it is currently one of three stations in the New Orleans market with an hour-long newscast, the others being NBC affiliate WDSU (which carries an hour-long 4 p.m. newscast) and Fox affiliate WVUE (which carries hour-long 5 and 9 p.m. newscasts on weeknights).
On June 4, 2010, the 9 p.m. newscast on sister station WNOL was cancelled due to a decision by station management to move CW primetime programming on WNOL ahead by one hour. Currently, WGNO produces and broadcast its local newscasts in 16:9
widescreen
standard definition; it is one of three major stations in the New Orleans market who carries its local newscasts in this format, along with CBS affiliate WWL-TV
(channel 4) and NBC affiliate WDSU
(channel 6).
Weather team
Sports team
Reporters
Contributing writers
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
-affiliated television station for the greater New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
metropolitan area, as well parts of southern and coastal Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting
Tribune Broadcasting
The Tribune Broadcasting Company is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois and named for the flagship Chicago Tribune newspaper.- History :Tribune Broadcasting...
, and is the only Big Three
Big Three Television Networks
The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional commercial broadcast television networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC...
network affiliate owned by the company.
The station offers ABC programming, along with syndicated programming and about 25 hours a week of local newscasts. The station broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 26; its studios are located at the Galleria Center in Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
and its transmitter is located east of downtown New Orleans off Paris Road
Louisiana Highway 47
Louisiana Highway 47 is a state highway in Louisiana that serves Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes. It spans 16.19 in a southeast to northwest direction, although it is designated as a south/north route. It is known locally as Paris Road and Hayne Boulevard.-Route description:From the south, LA 47...
. The station is seen via satellite through DirecTV and Dish Network, on Cox Communications
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
channel 11 in standard definition and digital channel 1011 in high definition, and on AT&T U-verse.
Digital television
WGNO-DT broadcasts on digital channel 26.Digital channels
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
480i
480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC...
Antenna TV
Antenna TV is an American digital broadcast television network, primarily featuring classic television series from the 1950s to the 1990s, along with some feature films. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, a division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
The station's broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 26. WGNO had been sharing digital channel 15 with sister station WNOL
WNOL-TV
WNOL-TV, virtual channel 38, is the CW-affiliated television station in New Orleans, Louisiana. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 15. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, in a duopoly with ABC affiliate WGNO.-Digital television:...
. On June 12, 2009, WGNO remained on channel 26 when the analog to digital conversion completed; this allowed on WNOL to resume high definition broadcasting on UHF channel 15. ABC network programming airing on WGNO is broadcast in the network's recommended high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
picture format of 720p
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
HD.
History
The station signed on in October 1967 as WWOM-TV (The Wonderful World Of Movies). It was the first independent station in LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, as well as the first new commercial station to sign on in the city since WWL-TV
WWL-TV
WWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
(channel 4) signed on in 1957. Initially, the station was on the air 8 hours a day from late afternoon to midnight. It programmed mostly old movies, some theatrical cartoons, and a couple off network shows. In 1969, the station experimented with broadcasting 24 hours a day, claiming to be the first television station in America to do such, but this venture was short lived. It was owned by David Wagenvoord until its sale to Communications Corp. of the South in 1971, and its call letters were changed to the current WGNO. During its first decade on the air, WGNO also served as a secondary affiliate to the Big Three Networks, airing programs not cleared by NBC affiliate WDSU, ABC affiliate WVUE, and CBS affiliate WWL.
As WGNO, the station began running more off network sitcoms and westerns and moderate amounts of cartoons. The station was on the air about twelve hours a day by 1972. The station began signing on at 10 a.m. in 1974, and expanded to about nineteen hours a day by 1975. WGNO was sold to Seymour Smith and family in 1976. It continued to program a general entertainment format with vintage sitcoms, older movies, and religious shows. From 1982 to 1987, WGNO aired 1000 PSAs (public service announcements) called "Tom Foote"; Tom was a local entertainer in area schools and in the Quarter. For a time, an hour-long program called Tom Foote's Video Clubhouse aired as well as News For Kids, produced by Tom.
WGNO was purchased by Glendive Media in 1978, who would later sell the station to Tribune Broadcasting
Tribune Broadcasting
The Tribune Broadcasting Company is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois and named for the flagship Chicago Tribune newspaper.- History :Tribune Broadcasting...
in 1983. By coincidence, the station's call letters reflect a connection with Tribune's flagship station, WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
(channel 9) in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, but channel 26 had WGN in their calls long before Tribune even thought of buying the station; and, with two other Tribune television properties also sporting the three letters in their call signs (KWGN-TV
KWGN-TV
KWGN-TV, virtual channel 2 , is a television station in Denver, Colorado, owned by the Tribune Company and affiliated with the CW Television Network...
(channel 2) in Denver and WGNX
WGCL-TV
WGCL-TV, virtual channel 46.1 is the CBS-affiliated television station serving the Atlanta, Georgia area. Its city of license is Atlanta, and the station is owned by Meredith Corporation, making it the largest-market CBS station not owned by the network...
(channel 46, now WGCL-TV) in Atlanta), channel 26 kept the WGNO call letters. With the slogan "New Orleans Style," the station continued to grow, and as other competitors signed on, WGNO remained the leading independent station in the market.
In 1993, legendary programmer Brandon Tartikoff
Brandon Tartikoff
Brandon Tartikoff was a television executive who was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with such hit series as Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, ALF, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Seinfeld, Miami Vice, The Golden Girls, Knight Rider, The A-Team, St...
, who had a successful run as the president of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
during the 1980s, created a game show for WGNO called "NO It Alls" with host Ed Daniels and hostess Isis Casanova. In 1996, Tartikoff would take the popular game show national as "Know It Alls".http://www.allbusiness.com/media-telecommunications/information-services/7690444-1.html
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
. At that time, The WB only offered a few hours of programming a week (airing only on Sunday and Wednesday nights at the time of its launch), so WGNO was still programming non-network programming over twenty hours a day.
That same year, Burnham Broadcasting sold longtime ABC affiliate WVUE (channel 8) in a group deal, to Savoy Communications, a company with interest in Fox (WVUE is currently owned by Louisiana Media Company). WVUE dropped its ABC affiliation to become a Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate on January 1, 1996. WGNO then acquired WVUE's former ABC affiliation, and became the market's new affiliate of the network. The WB network affiliation, along with the cartoons and some syndicated programming, were moved to former Fox affiliate WNOL (channel 38).
In 1997, WNOL later came under management by Tribune Company, and WGNO officially became a sister station to WNOL after Tribune purchased the latter in 2000, creating the market's first television "duopoly" operation. In July 2005, the station moved its facilities from the World Trade Center New Orleans to a facility at the New Orleans Centre.
On August 29, 2007, the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, WGNO began broadcasting from new high definition-ready studios in the Galleria Center in nearby Metairie; included in WGNO's new facility are a brand-new news set and weather center. Revamped logos and on-air graphics were introduced at this time.
When the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
have any games done by NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
's Thursday Night Football in a season, WGNO has the rights to air those.
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
approached in August 2005, WGNO's operations were moved to fellow ABC affiliate WBRZ-TV
WBRZ-TV
WBRZ, virtual channel 2 , is an ABC affiliate television station serving Baton Rouge, Louisiana, south-central and southeastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi. It is owned by the Manship family, who also publishes the Baton Rouge daily newspaper, The Advocate. Its transmitter is located in...
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
.
For a time after Hurricane Katrina hit, nightly newscasts were broadcast from various locations throughout the New Orleans area because the main studio was inaccessible. Temporary facilities (including a makeshift studio and control room) were eventually established in two trailers outside of the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
, and most of the station's broadcast equipment was purchased from eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
resellers.
In April 2006, WGNO announced that it was temporarily moving its broadcast operations back to the World Trade Center New Orleans tower. Management at the New Orleans Centre terminated the station's lease when it decided not to reopen the complex—the station had only moved into the facility a few weeks before Katrina. In February 2007, Tribune announced that rather than move WGNO to WNOL's facility on Canal Street, it would be moving to the Galleria building in nearby Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
. This would make WGNO the first local station to move outside of New Orleans - station management indicated that they wanted to keep WGNO in New Orleans, but that there wasn't a facility suitable for the purpose. The move to the Galleria was complete and broadcasting began at their new home on August 29, 2007, the second-year anniversary of Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
Hurricane Katrina also destroyed WGNO's analog and digital transmitters. As of March 1, 2008, WGNO completed its "post transition
Digital television transition
The digital television transition is the process in which analog television broadcasting is converted to and replaced by digital television. This primarily involves both TV stations and over-the-air viewers; however it also involves content providers like TV networks, and cable television...
" channel 26 DTV
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
transmitter. Since this transmitter operates on the same frequency as their analog transmitter (26) it could not be powered up until their analog transmitter shut down on June 12, 2009, at which time the station flash-cut
Flash-cut
A flash-cut, also called flash-cutover, is an immediate change in a complex system, with no phase-in period.Some telephone area codes were split immediately, rather than being phased in with a permissive dialing period. An example is telephone area code 213, which was split into 213 and 714 all at...
to digital.http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=620193 Prior to June 12, 2009, its digital signal (with full resolution HDTV content) was carried on a sub-channel of WNOL
WNOL-TV
WNOL-TV, virtual channel 38, is the CW-affiliated television station in New Orleans, Louisiana. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 15. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, in a duopoly with ABC affiliate WGNO.-Digital television:...
's digital transmitter on channel 15.
Hurricane Gustav
With the approach of Hurricane GustavHurricane Gustav
The name Gustav has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* 1984's Tropical Storm Gustav - Spent most of its existence as a tropical depression hovering over Bermuda, no major damage was reported....
in 2008, WGNO's audio was simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on WTIX-FM
WTIX-FM
WTIX-FM is an oldies outlet serving the New Orleans area. The station is owned by Michael A. "Michael In The Morning" Costello and operates at 94.3 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW...
(94.3); the station also cancelled the local segments of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
The MDA Labor Day Telethon is an annual telethon in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association . The first MDA telethon was during the Thanksgiving Day weekend of 1952 and titled Party for MDA. It has been held annually since 1966...
, which was airing as normally scheduled on sister station WNOL-TV
WNOL-TV
WNOL-TV, virtual channel 38, is the CW-affiliated television station in New Orleans, Louisiana. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 15. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, in a duopoly with ABC affiliate WGNO.-Digital television:...
.
WGNO received help covering Gustav from the Tribune Company
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
/Local TV
Local TV
Local TV LLC is a limited liability corporation, owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners , which operates 18 local network-affiliated television stations in the United States.-History:...
partnership, which combines the control and Internet operations for both entities—stations that sent crews to New Orleans included Fox affiliate WBRC
WBRC
WBRC, virtual channel 6, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Birmingham, Alabama designated market area. The station is owned by Raycom Media, and its transmitter is located atop Red Mountain in Birmingham...
(channel 6) in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
(now owned by Raycom Media
Raycom Media
- History :Although Raycom Media dates its birth to 1996, the core of the company was formed in 1992 when Atlanta native Bert Ellis formed Ellis Communications. He eventually controlled 13 television stations and two radio stations....
), NBC affiliate WHO-TV (channel 13) in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
and CBS affiliate WHNT-TV
WHNT-TV
WHNT-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tennessee Valley area of North Alabama that is licensed to Huntsville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 19 from a transmitter on Monte Sano. Owned by Local TV, the station has studios on Holmes Avenue Northwest in...
(channel 19) in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. On September 1, 2008 CNN.com began to simulcast WGNO's local coverage on one of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's four live video feeds.
News operation
Currently, WGNO broadcasts a total of 24½ hours of local newscasts each week (with 4½ hours on weekdays, and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays), the lowest newscast output of the Big Four affiliates in the New Orleans market; unlike most ABC affiliates in large or mid-sized markets, WGNO does not carry a weekend morning newscast.Shortly after taking the ABC affiliation, WGNO launched a full-scale news department, and began airing half-hour newscasts at 5 and 6 p.m. on weeknights and nightly at 10 p.m. in March 1996. For its first eight years as an ABC affiliate, WGNO was one of the largest Big Three stations (in terms of market size) not to have a weekday morning or midday newscast. On September 8, 2008, WGNO launched a half-hour midday newscast at 11 a.m., and then on September 29, 2008, the station finally added a two-hour morning newscast called Good Morning New Orleans, airing from 5-7 a.m. The station at one time was unique for having its own bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
, Tat-2, as part of its "Wheel of Justice" series. http://abc26.trb.com/news/wgno_news_tat2ii052208,0,3524949.story, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ratw-yh2Epk
On April 20, 2009 WGNO moved its 6 p.m. newscast ahead a half-hour to 6:30 p.m., the move was intended to reach a believed large segment of New Orleans who commute to work and do not arrive home in time to watch a 6 p.m. newscast; billed as "Your Only Newscast at 6:30", the newscast is anchored by Jessica Holly (who also solo anchors the weeknight 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts), however recent ratings indicate that the time slot did not attract significant viewers as ratings fell in 2010, with WGNO placing last with a 1.7 Nielsen at 6:30. A year later, WGNO reinstated its 6 p.m. newscast, pairing it alongside the existing 6:30 newscast; it is currently one of three stations in the New Orleans market with an hour-long newscast, the others being NBC affiliate WDSU (which carries an hour-long 4 p.m. newscast) and Fox affiliate WVUE (which carries hour-long 5 and 9 p.m. newscasts on weeknights).
On June 4, 2010, the 9 p.m. newscast on sister station WNOL was cancelled due to a decision by station management to move CW primetime programming on WNOL ahead by one hour. Currently, WGNO produces and broadcast its local newscasts in 16:9
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
standard definition; it is one of three major stations in the New Orleans market who carries its local newscasts in this format, along with CBS affiliate WWL-TV
WWL-TV
WWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
(channel 4) and NBC affiliate WDSU
WDSU
WDSU, virtual channel 6, is the NBC-affiliated television station for the New Orleans, Louisiana television market. It is owned by Hearst Television, which in turn is wholly owned by the Hearst Corporation. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 43...
(channel 6).
Newscast titles
- WGNO News/WGNO News Final (1971–1978)
- TV-26 News (1978–mid 1980s)
- ABC26 News (1996–2011)
- WGNO News (2011–present)
Station slogans
- We've Got New Orleans (1971–late 1970s, 1995–1996 and 2003–2004)
- New Orleans Style (1983?–1995?)
- More News (1996–2005)
- Getting Answers (2005–2008)
- News with a Twist (2011–present)
Current on-air staff
Anchors- Sheldon Fox - Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.; also weekday reporter and "Wheel of Justice" feature reporter
- Jon Huffman - weekday mornings "Good Morning New Orleans" (5-7 a.m.); also weeknight reporter
- LeBron “LBJ” Joseph - "News with a Twist at" 6:00 pm; also morning co-host for KMEZ-FM
- Jocelyn Lockwood - weekday mornings "Good Morning New Orleans" (5-7 a.m.) and 11 a.m.
- Susan RoesgenSusan RoesgenSusan Roesgen is an American television reporter. She has worked in radio and television broadcasting for more than two decades, including prime time news anchor positions at several TV stations...
- "News with a Twist" at 6:00 pm - Curt Sprang - weeknights at 5pm 6:30 pm and 10 p.m.
Weather team
- Hank Allen (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings "Good Morning New Orleans" (5-7 a.m.) and 11 a.m. - Bruce Katz (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6:30 and 10 p.m. - Molly Rosenblatt - weather anchor; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.; also reporter
Sports team
- Ed Daniels - sports director; weeknights at 6:30 pm and 10 p.m.; formerly host of "NO it Alls"
- Kristina Pink - sports anchor; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.; also sports reporter
Reporters
- Vanessa Bolano
- Jeff Crouere - political analyst
- Anne Cutler - News with a Twist at 6 p.m. reporter
- Don Dubuc - outdoor reporter; Tuesdays at 10, and Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
- Sandra Gonzalez
- Christian Jennings - morning and 11 a.m. reporter
- Dave Jordan
- Molly Kimball - nutrition expert
- Chriss Knight - morning and 11 a.m. reporter
- Kenny Lopez
- Joe Rawley - web reporter
- Darian Trotter
- Tyler Wing
Contributing writers
- Mike Church - News with a Twist commentary Tuesday, Thursday
- Karre Johnson - News with a Twist commentary Monday, Wednesday, Friday
- Mike Theis - News with a Twist feature reporter
Notable former on-air staff
- Brad GiffenBrad GiffenBrad Giffen is a Canadian news anchor who has worked on television in both Canada and the United States.Over his broadcasting career he has also worked as a radio personality, disc jockey, VJ, television reporter and television producer....
- anchor/reporter (1996-2001?); currently at CFTO-TVCFTO-TVCFTO-DT, broadcast on channel 9 and cable 8, is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. Currently branded as CTV Toronto, it is the flagship station of the CTV Television Network, and was one of the charter members of the network when it was launched in 1961. It...
Toronto and CTV News Channel) - Jessica Holly